Bogormen

Title: The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: 374
Date read: December 2024

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, she and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She’s hoping to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now she’s determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell shop comes with its own risks—the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high.


I picked this up on a whim while in Edinburgh because I simply could not resist the cover! I don't usually go for hardcovers, but I'm glad I did here, because the book is just gorgeous ... and fortunately the contents delivered. Cozy fantasy when it's best, and I ended up almost book hungover after finishing it. I really want to visit Caltrey now - swim with the merhorses, try Bryn's pastries, and of course talk to Caz at the jam shop :-D

I loved how Kiela and Caz figured out how to use their "remedies" and my one complaint about this book would be that we didn't get to see nearly enough of the spells in action. Unfortunately, it's not really a book that lends itself to a sequel (and I almost think it would be a shame if one was written), so I will have to be satisfied with the few that I did see.

Really charming book. I'm glad I saved it for the Christmas vacation.

Title: The House Sitter
Author: Mira V. Shah
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 276
Date read: December 2024

TWO WEEKS AGO
I woke up in a hotel room next to a dead man, with no memory of the night before.
Panicked, I cleared up any trace that I was there and fled.

ONE WEEK AGO
I was offered the perfect the chance to housesit a gorgeous villa in a remote corner of Italy.
Desperate to get away, I jumped at the chance.

NOW
The owners have unexpectedly shown up at the house. The only problem?
They're the family of the man I woke up next to, two weeks ago.

ONE OF THEM KNOWS MY SECRET.
AND THEY'VE COME TO FIND ME.


I almost gave up on this within the first 30 pages, because I couldn't get used to the writing style, but promised myself to give it until page 50 ... and on page 47 I had not only gotten used to it, but the book took a turn that made me drop any ideas of giving up on it!

The book is split up into three acts, and the first one is definitely just to set the scene - the book gets a lot more interesting in the second two, with the last one almost reminding me of "Murder on the Orient Express" or "Knives Out" in the way it goes through all the suspects, all the possibilities, and all the new secrets that are revealed on almost every page. By that time it had definitely turned into a page turner, and I had to know what happened next.

In the end, it mostly delivered. Most of the ends were tired up, and most of my questions were answered (with one glaring omission, where I'm wondering if I just accidentally skip past it), and the motive kinda made sense.

So a good book, but not a great one.

... but seriously - can anybody tell me who actually invited Aahnaya to house sit, and why she looked so much like Marina???

Title: How to Lose a Guy Before Christmas
Author: A.J. Pine
Genre: Christmas, Chick-lit
Rating: 3/5
# pages: Audiobook ~5hrs
Date read: December 2024

After a snowstorm grounds her flight, Lucy makes a last-ditch effort to get home for Christmas using a rideshare app. She thinks she’ll be taking a road trip with a stranger...but the guy who shows up is someone she knows all too well. He’s the hookup she ghosted a few months ago, and now she’ll be stuck in a car with him for the most awkward road trip of her life.

Making matters worse, he’s even more gorgeous than she remembers—too bad things between them are frostier than the North Pole. Will the long ride home allow them to get to know each other in surprising new ways? And more importantly, will the season warm things up and send sparks flying yet again? Whatever happens, one thing is clear: It’s going to take a whole lot of Christmas magic to unlock their guarded hearts.


Pros:
* Cute couple.
* Loved Tinsel!
* Realistic resolution of the 3rd act breakup.

Cons:
* Not enough Christmas by a long shot!
* Tinsel was completely unrealistic! (Yes, I know I loved it - those two facts aren't mutually exclusive).
* Heartbreaking 3rd act breakup.